Back in April, Michael Stipe & Elton John wrote an impassioned essay (featured in The Guardian) about the plight of transgender people in U.S. prisons. The essay called on the The United States Department of Justice to take a stand against the brutality and sexual assault that transgender prisoners face inside U.S. correctional facilities. Michael and Elton John mentioned the case of Ashley Diamond, a transgender inmate in a Georgia correctional facility who was repeatedly assaulted and victimized. Today, Ms. Diamond received some very good news: From The Southern Poverty Law Center: After more than three years in prison, Ashley Diamond was released today. Ashley, a trans inmate, sued the Georgia Department of Corrections after being denied a safe environment and medically necessary treatment. During her time in prison, she was housed with male inmates and sexually assaulted eight times.
“I’m overjoyed to be with my family again and out of harm’s way,” Diamond said. “Although the systematic abuse and assaults I faced for more than three years have left me emotionally and physically scarred, I’ll continue to fight for justice and to shine. a light on the gross mistreatment of transgender inmates in Georgia and nationwide.”
